I guess it shouldn't have come as a surprise to me - a cheese that melts wonderfully for fondue, like Swiss raclette, would be an excellent candidate for delicious grilled cheese panini. Based on an idea submitted by Tiffany of Geneva, Switzerland (by way of Washington, DC) as part of the ongoing On Your Grill series, this sandwich pairs smooth and creamy raclette with a touch of honey on crispy buttered French bread to create and sweet and savory combination you'll want to devour in minutes. Guess we'll have to find something else to do with those individually-wrapped yellow slices! Want to read about how this recipe was created? Check out "In Celebration of Grilled Cheese"

1 serving

INGREDIENTS:

Raclette cheese *
Honey
Butter, melted
2 slices French bread

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat panini grill to medium-high heat (375 degrees).

Brush melted butter onto outer sides of each slice of bread. Spread a thin layer of honey on the inside of one slice of bread. Top with slices of raclette (enough to cover bread, about 1/8" thick). Place the other slice of bread on top, buttered side up.

Grill sandwich for 3 minutes until cheese is melted and golden grill marks appear. Serve immediately and enjoy!

* You can often find raclette in the specialty cheese section of your grocery store

This recipe was created and copyrighted by Panini Happy to appear exclusively at http://paninihappyrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/04/grilled-cheese-honey-panini-recipe.html

Yes, it's actually a recipe for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich! I know, I know - who needs a recipe for this? Think of it as a serving suggestion. The panini-version of PB&J is, of course, grilled so more than likely this sandwich is a little different from what mom put in your lunchbox. Start with buttered, crusty, seedy multigrain artisan bread, fill it with chunky peanut butter, fresh strawberries and strawberry preserves and grill it to golden perfection - it might be hard to go back to the old way. With PB&J, there really are no exact measurements - the right quantities are the ones that taste best to you! Want to see how this recipe was created? Check out "The Taste of Childhood".

1 serving

INGREDIENTS:

butter, melted
2 slices seeded multi-grain bread, 1/2" thick
chunky peanut butter
1 strawberry, sliced lengthwise into 1/8" slices
strawberry preserves

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the panini grill to medium-high (375 degrees).

Brush one side of each bread slice with melted butter. Flip both bread slices over, buttered side down. On one slice, spread a generous amount of peanut butter. Top with strawberry slices. On the other bread slice, spread preserves. Sandwich the two slices together, buttered sides out. Grill 3-4 minutes until golden grill marks appear on bread. Cut sandwich in half crosswise and enjoy!

This recipe will also be participating in the April 2008 Wholesome Lunchbox event on Coffee and Vanilla.

This recipe was created and copyrighted by Panini Happy to appear exclusively at http://paninihappyrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/03/peanut-butter-jelly-panini-recipe.html

Looking for a healthier alternative to typical grilled cheese? Give this recipe a try! With fresh mozzarella and a blend of other Italian cheeses, you still will get your cheese fix - roasted eggplant and red bell peppers allow you to cut back on some of the fat and calories and add great flavor as well. Dip the sandwiches in marinara sauce for an extra kick! Reduced-fat never tasted better. Want to see how this recipe was created? Check out "Eggplant to the rescue!".


4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

2 Japanese eggplants, sliced 1/2" thick lengthwise
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 baguette, cut into 5" pieces OR 4-5" mini-baguettes
1 roasted red bell pepper, divided into 4 long pieces
2 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4" thick
1/2 cup Italian blend shredded cheese
1 cup marinara

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to broil.

Lay eggplant slices on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush olive oil on top of each slice. Sprinkle salt and pepper to season eggplant. Broil 4-5 minutes until eggplant slices are browned and soft (watch carefully, they can burn quickly!).

Heat panini grill to 350 degrees.

To assemble sandwiches, first slice each baguette lengthwise to create top and bottom halves. Build each sandwich as follows:

• bottom baguette half
• 1 tablespoon shredded cheese
• slice eggplant
• red pepper
• fresh mozzarella
• slice eggplant
• 1 tablespoon shredded cheese
• top baguette half

Press down on the sandwich with your hand to stabilize it and secure the filling within the bread.

Carefully place two sandwiches at a time onto the panini press and grill at a low grill height for 9 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is toasted. Serve hot with marinara for dipping.


Panini Pairings (what are these?)

• Oven Roasted Broccoli with Lemon, Chili-Garlic Oil and Parmesan - Pinch My Salt
• Tomato and Cilantro Soup - Kalyn's Kitchen
  
  

This recipe was created and copyrighted by Panini Happy to appear exclusively at http://paninihappyrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/02/roasted-eggplant-red-pepper-grilled.html

Inspired by Italian calzones, this zesty puff pastry panini is sure to delight your taste buds. Want to see how this recipe was created? Check out "Yes, More Puff Pastry - Spinach & Ricotta".

8 servings


INGREDIENTS:

10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained completely
15-oz. package part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
pinch nutmeg
2 tablespoons flour
17.3-oz. package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
1/3 cup pesto spread
marinara sauce for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl, combine spinach, ricotta, parmesan, garlic powder, oregano and nutmeg. Set aside.

Heat the panini grill to 400 degrees.

On a large clean surface (i.e., a large cutting board), spread 1 tablespoon of the flour to prevent sticking. Roll out one of the puff pastry sheets to a 12" x 12" square. With a knife, divide the sheet into 4-6" x 6" squares. Spread 2 teaspoons of pesto spread onto each square. Spoon 3 tablespoons of the spinach mixture on top of the pesto, in the center of each square. Dip a finger in water and wet the edges of each square and fold each in half to form triangles. Fold up and press the edges to seal. Repeat with the remaining sheet of puff pastry.

Place two pastries (or however many will fit) onto the bottom grate of the panini grill and lower the top to a medium height. Grill pastries for 12 minutes until golden and flaky on the outside. Repeat for the remaining pastries.

Top with marinara; serve hot.